


DETROIT : HEAVY RAIN

by 10k_au



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Heavy Rain
Genre: Crossover, Deviant Connor, F/M, PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE SLOWEST OF ALL TIMES, Rain, Slow Burn, hank is a dad, normans accent is the most important thing, not sorry, proud and supportive, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-05-20 06:27:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14889371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10k_au/pseuds/10k_au
Summary: The rain won't stop , neither  will the  origami  killer . Hank  anderson  and  his  android  partner - Connor , are  working  with  you  and  Norman  Jayden  to  try  and  catch   whoever  or  whatever  is  kidnapping  and  drowning  young  boys .





	1. Apparent  voice.

The rain is really coming down now , hammering against the windows as you let yourself into the office , shutting the door carefully behind you and moving around the side of the room - coming to a stop just across from where the detectives are talking . You’d been accompanying Jayden for a few days now and although you weren’t really able to work him out yet , you knew him well enough to know that the look on his face meant that they weren’t getting very far . You perched against the glass wall , hands by your hips , feeling the slight vibrations in the wall as you drink in everything that’s being said as Jayden and Anderson work over a map . 

You weren’t sure about Hank Anderson , it was obvious ( and became more apparent the longer you were acquainted with him ) that he was intelligent and well travelled.. But every time that you had met him , he’d entered stinking of alcohol and struggling to hold himself together - normally with Connor following closely behind him . Talking of Connor , you look across at him now . He’s sitting on a metal chair on the other side of room , leaning forward - legs apart and elbows on his knees . His eyes are focusing on the middle of nowhere and you deduct that he’s doing the same as you - listening to the words but not REALLY listening to anything . 

He’s flicking a coin from hand to hand , a shrill noise cutting across the room . Anderson seems used to it , barely flinching . Jayden , however , seems a little perturbed by the action and shoots a look the androids way before glaring over at you . You know what he’s saying .. 

You start doing that as well and i’m dumping you somewhere . 

He shouldn’t worry , Although your motor skills are up to par with Connor’s model , it doesn’t seem to be in your programming to find any appeal in the action . Your eyes narrow as you think about it , programming . As much as you hated to think about yourself that way you supposed that humans had programming to . It was just that theirs was in their DNA .. yours was in hard zeros and ones . You send a shrug Norman’s way and then your eyes revert back to Conner , followed quickly by your face . 

He’s still doing the thing with the coin . 

‘Jayden is going to break your fingers if you keep doing that .’ 

You say , only to connor and to no-one else. Slowly , his head lifts and he looks straight at you with those dark eyes . The LED on the side of his forehead flashes a couple of times a deep yellow and then goes back to the usual blue . He lifts his head further and then sits up straighter in his seat , coin going still and resting between two of the fingers on his right hand . 

‘ Probably . ‘ 

It’s only one word , but it makes you realise that you hadn’t actually HEARD Connor speak before . It was odd to think that after the few sessions that they’d had working together - Connor had never once actually piped up . The significance of all of this makes you process so much information that you can almost feel your LED shifting . Connor watches you for a moment longer - and perhaps he would have continued to for a greater length of time if it weren’t for Hank speaking up . 

“ Connor ? You deaf? Get over here and help us sort out these geo-analytics “ 

He turns away and squints across at his partner for a moment before getting to his feet and straightening his suit jacket . 

“ Sorry Lieutenant- “ 

You watch him move across the room and wonder for a moment whether you should be doing the same , but a quick look at Norman makes you think that perhaps it would be better if you stayed where you were and let them do the work . Very recently he’d begun paying very close attention to your actions - more than you would have liked him too and that was probably because he’d noticed that things hadn’t been working the same way that they normally did . It was true , and if he realised that it was down to …. What it was REALLY down to - then you’d be in big trouble . 

You couldn’t remember when you’d actually started to feel the way that you had , when the instability had become more than just that and had crept into every fibre of your being , changing you from a mindless servant into SOMEONE , and a someone that wanted to be free . But what you did know was that you were one hundred percent sure that if anyone found out that you were a deviant that only bad things were going to happen to you . If there was one thing that you’d learnt following a federal officer it was that humans were scared of anything that was different and that if they were scared of something - they destroyed it . 

They were talking over each other now , as you watched from the corner - each of them thought that they knew best . Hank was drawling in his usual indecisive manner about how the best way to catch the origami killer was to think LIKE a killer . Jayden was increasing his tone , but somehow his boston accent sounded exactly the same - just as though someone had turned the volume up on a set of speakers . Connor however , in his deep smooth voice - was mumbling almost to himself , he wasn’t looking at either Hank nor Norman , instead he was searching the ground with narrowed eyes . You wonder whether he’s searching through files or whether there’s …. Something else going on .   
“ Have we considered the idea that the killer might not be … Human? “ 

You say suddenly . There’s a moment where you seem to get no response and then they all turn to look at you at the same time . You try your best to keep your cool , maintain the appearance that you’re just a specialised model doing your job . 

“ Yes - I was just .. “ 

Connor says , eyes widening , a finger pressing into his jawline as if in deep thought. The two humans in the room watch you with looks of almost disgust on their face and then Hank interrupts Connor’s train of thought . Which sucked , because that was the thought that you wanted to hear . 

“ Not Human ? What the hell does that mean? You think our killer is … “ 

“ An android . “ 

Finishes Connor , he’s watching you , his other hand coming up with the coin perched between knuckles as he thinks , processes . 

“ It’s most likely that the reason that he’s managed to evade us for so long is that he’s not CAPABLE of leaving any DNA evidence . “ 

Hank turns to look at his partner , head jutting back on his neck , hands raising as he crosses his arms over his chest in his heavy jacket . Jayden is watching you just like Connor is , except there’s a different look in his eyes - something that seems to you to be something akin to curiosity . 

“ A deviant . “ 

Jayden says matter of factly , leaning forward on the desk , hands bracing himself as he burns a hole in you with his gaze . Something inside of you feel off , you struggle to put a word to it , but after a moment you realise that it’s fear . Is he commenting on the killer or on you ? Both? 

“ A - yes a deviant android , “ 

You state , standing up straight and tucking your hands behind your back softly as if to attention , averting your eyes from the officer that you’ve been shadowing ... to the other android . Connor is still watching you , LED flickering yellow again , not seemingly wanting to go back to it’s usual sky blue. He’s processing and he’s processing hard . 

‘ sharing - [ 295 FILES RECIEVED ] ‘   
You double blink as you recieve all the information on deviants that your counterpart had collected . It was sorted , colour coded . A soft curve to your lips appears as you sort through all of it . He’s organised - even for an android , you wonder if that’s down to his model or whether it’s something else. 

‘ files received . Thank you . ‘ 

Connor’s LED flashes red once - then back to blue .


	2. Emote levels

The car is shelter from the pelting rain but it’s not much , the sound of it against the metal body of the vehicle is like drums that are demanding their way into your head and knocking on a door that you’re not sure you want opened . You lean an arm against the passenger door and look out at the glistening pavement . There’s so much water - pretty soon there won’t be a victim to save , just another dead body in the wasteland. 

You’ve gone over all of the files that you received and all of it supports the hypothesis that you had put forward , that Connor agreed with . But it seemed that neither of you were actually any closer to proving it and to taking it further .

Jayden shifts behind the wheel on the other side of the car, he’s wearing those odd sunglasses and you know that he’s not really in the car anymore - that his mind is somewhere more complex - he’s working in his own little world . That’s alright , it gives you time to figure out how you’re going to play things . Your partner has been acting weirdly lately and it’s begun to become obvious that it’s more than just a response to you … something else and something bigger is going on . Perhaps you can use that to your advantage? You watch a rain drop race it’s siblings down your window , finger tip tracing your lips as you ponder the information . 

“ What do you think? “ 

Jayden’s words break your train of thought and your head snaps around to look at him . The glasses are still on his face , his gloved hand moving mid air as he scrolls through whatever it is that’s in front of him that is invisible to you and anybody else that happens to be passing . Is it a trick question? No , you’re overthinking everything with your nerves on edge . Overthinking to a point that is ridiculous . You raise an eyebrow although you’re pretty sure that he won’t be looking at you any time soon . 

“ You don’t pay me to think , Agent Jayden . “ 

There’s a pause and he continues to scroll through whatever he’s looking at , but a smirk carves it’s way into his face , the scar on his cheek being pushed upwards . The indentation to his face is faint and most people probably wouldn’t even notice it - you’re not people though , you’re a machine built to process it’s surroundings thoroughly and efficiently . You notice everything about him - even the things you wish that you didn’t . A soft sound leaves his throat , you’re glad you amuse him - that’s what you’d been going for . 

“ I don’t pay you for anything , do I ? “ 

He mutters , shifting again - his shoulders moving backwards just a little . 

“ Exactly “ 

You muse , meeting his eyes - or at least his line of sight. He makes another soft sound and tilts his head , that smirk growing into a full blown smile . There’s something odd about seeing such happiness on his face . You’d only ever seen him serious beforehand , or more - stressed to the point of breaking point . 

You turn back to continue your vigil over the outside world . There’s movement behind you and Jayden takes off his sunglass and then glove , tucking both items into the inside of his jacket before lifting his hands up to place them both on the steering wheel . He’s yet to start the engine yet though . Perhaps he isn’t sure where you’re to go . 

“ I’m serious , I want to know what you’re thinking about everything. “ 

Okay , NOW it sounds like a trick question . You drum your fingers on the handle and suddenly contemplate the idea of throwing the door open and getting out - perhaps run away into the night . But of course that was a sure way of getting Jayden to turn you in as defective . So you sit still , trying to decide what you’re going to say . Nothing really seems to hold a light towards what you want to say , none of the words that you try out internally match the intensity . 

“ I think that - We’ve been looking in the wrong place all this time and now that we’re exploring the idea that the killer is an android - we can explore more avenues . We might find a lead . “ 

“ And… it doesn’t bother you? “ 

“ I’m afraid I… don’t understand .” 

You turn back and look at Jayden again , this time your eyes meet and he’s studying your face carefully as if all the answers that the team need are written across your face . His eyes jump and you feel them burn into your LED - he’s watching your reaction , perhaps how he would watch the body language of a human . Was this an interrogation now? Was that what things had come to?   
He sighs, chewing lightly on the inside of his lower lip . “ 

“ Yes you do , Connor chases his kind for a living - it’s in his programming to deal with that . You? It must bother you that you’re condemning your kind to death? “

Your blood would have run cold if it had been warm in the first place . 

“ Sir - It’s not in my programming NOT to be able to deal with it either . It’s simply down to me to process everything logically . “ 

Pause. 

“ That’s bullshit . “ 

You know that your LED is probably reverberating a solid red at this point , you wish that you could shut yourself down and just forget that this conversation had ever started in the first place. You stare back at Jayden and eventually you manage to pull yourself together enough to formulate another string of words. 

“ Did it bother you when you thought you were dealing with a human? “ 

Your eyes burn back right into his - so much so that he sighs and turns away . You can almost feel the tenseness radiating off of him , and you wonder whether you’ve nailed your own coffin shut . Was that what he’d been doing ? Backing you into a corner and trying to trick you into giving yourself up ? 

“ I’m sorry - That was unprofessional of me . “ 

You submit , trying to drag things back as much as you can . 

“ I started it - “ 

He replied , shrugging his shoulders and leaning forward in his seat , folding his arms over each other on the wheel . That was true , and he seems calm - amused almost . Perhaps you’d misjudged him - perhaps he was the one person that you could trust , if in fact there was anybody that someone in your place could trust . You weren’t going to test that right now - there was too much at risk . 

You lean forward and pull the glove compartment open , the gun that was held inside rolls a little towards you with the force and you place your other hand over the top of the grip , closing it slowly and lifting the weapon in front of you . Your right hand closes the box again as the left pops the magazin to check how many rounds you have left . You hadn’t ever actually fired a gun , but Jayden seemed to trust you enough to put one in your grasp and let you decide whether you could actually pull the trigger if push came to shove . 

“ Where are we going? “ 

You ask quietly , watching as your partner finally pulls off the handbrake and pulls out of where the car had been sat in neutral at the side of the road . You hadn’t talked at all about what lead you would pursue next - but there’s a determination in Norman’s eyes that makes you think that he has an idea that he’s willing to throw the two of you into without a second thought . Hopefully you could live up to that and wouldn’t be the loose link in the investigation . 

“ Blake gave me a few addresses while we were waiting on hank the other day . “ 

He looks out of the passenger side window and pulls out onto the highway , looking down into the tray between you and fishing out a piece of paper before throwing it towards you haphazardly , his eyes already back on the road . You fumble just a little, but catch the piece of information more skillfully than any human being would have been able to . You scan it carefully, taking in all of the letters and numbers on the sheet in under a second and then discarding the physical and resorting to organising the information in an allocating folder in the back of your head . 

“ I take it that Lieutenant Anderson will be meeting us there? “ 

“ And Connor, yes . “ 

Jayden replies, shooting you a look across the car . There’s something in the look that you don’t like . You thought that it had been implied in your question , yes . But the way that he says the other android’s name makes you feel like he’s adding more weight to the latter half of the partnership . 

“ What is that supposed to mean? “ 

The tone of your voice is sharp . Sharper than an android’s is supposed to be , but it seems to go over Jayden’s head , because when he replies it’s quick and warm , like a parent teasing their child . 

“ It means what I said , Connor will be there ? Why? do you like him? “ 

“ Because we’re both androids? “ 

You’re more than a little offended , but you’re trying your best to keep a reign on everything that’s bubbling up inside of you .   
“ Well … “ 

“ Do you automatically LIKE Anderson because you’re both humans? “ 

Jayden looks across at you for just a millisecond with eyes narrowed before turning his attention back to the road. And you’ve blown it - you can feel everything coming apart from underneath you. 

There’s a silence that seems to drag on for eternity . You both watch the road ahead of you in the car, wash with rain that feels heavy with the meaning that has been given to the autumn storm clouds in the little town . 

Then suddenly , Jayden’s face breaks into a smile for a second time that night - 

“ I can’t stand him . “ 

His sentence trails off into a chuckle , chest caving a little as he leans forward , the laugh leaving him in a way that seems pure and it warms you . Your own face splits and you shake your head , eyes glistening as you look back out of the window .


	3. community spirit

You hope that the reason that Jayden has for bringing you to this place is a good one . The dark apartment is the definition of squalor . This is another of those instances where you learn the meaning of a word down to it’s smallest components . Today - it’s miserable . You’ve yet to actually FEEL misery .. but this place makes you understand what it would feel like - like watching it be played out in front of you on a screen . The dark walls are peeling and they look moist - damp so far into the plasterboard that it’s starting to rot away . Norman can be heard down the hall in another room , opening draws and looking for any evidence that could lead them to the person that that used to inhabit the building . 

You stand on the threshold of one of the bedrooms, the cot is tossed aside, mattress upright against the wall . The metal shell is rusting the same colour as the dirt that stains the wallpaper . It’s like everything has been left to fall in on itself for years , but according to Jayden the guy had been living here up until extremely recently . You can’t imagine anyone existing in a place like this - let alone actually living , but you guess that some people can be desperate , not everyone has it as easy as an android that has exploitable skills . 

You’ve done a little of your own searching but you leave the majority up to your partner - although you’re more than capable .. you know that humans tend to dislike too much intervention from their android counterparts . So you keep your distance . 

He calls your name , and after a long pause in which you’re hardly even thinking - you turn to follow the sound of his voice. Except you can’t . Because someone is standing behind you as you turn , blocking your entrance into the hallway . Perhaps if you were human you would have jumped backwards in fright . Instead you stand as still as you can , staring at the body of whoever it is , waiting for them to bludgeon you over the head and drag you away . It never comes . Your eyes trail upwards , over a suited body and to a face that’s familiar . Connor . 

Relief . At least the android version of it . 

“ You seem - Uneasy , I didn’t mean to surprise you .” 

He comments , the same wide eyed almost childlike expression on his face that seems to always be there whenever you look at him . You wonder whether you look the same way to him - or whether it’s something in your head that’s making you empathise with another android in a similar situation . 

“ You didn’t “ 

You state , lifting your arms to cross them over your chest . He’s taller than you , lanky - he towers over you like a monument . He doesn’t seem as though he’s going anywhere anytime soon and you take a step back , looking him up and down . 

“ No? Then why the increase in heat originating from your processing unit? “ 

He’s teasing you and you both know it . 

“ Are you always this vocal, Connor? “ 

“ Is that you’re way of telling me to shut up? “ 

His eyes are glistening , and for a moment you forget that you’re both androids , he seems so human in that instance - it makes YOU feel less robotic in turn . 

“ Perhaps . Now if you’ll excuse me , Jayden needs me in the other room . “ 

There’s a length of time that’s just a little too long wherein you both continue to stare at each other - pondering over each other’s words and trying to organise what could have been meant by every word . Then slowly , Connor dips his head ever so slightly and swings himself backwards as if he were connected to the doorway via hinges, granting you enough room to move past. You give it a couple more seconds and then jump into movement , slipping through the gap and into the hall , starting on your way towards the kitchen - dining area . 

He’s following you , and you know that he is because you tune in carefully to the sound of the heels of his shoes clicking against the degrading wooden floorboards . He moves like your shadow , brushing through openings just after you move through the same . 

“ Did you come without Hank today? “ 

You ask suddenly as you pass into the kitchen , your gaze finding Jayden crouched by a cabinet across the room . His fingers are tracing indentation in the wood and you come to a stop a few feet away from him , Connor coming up beside you, folding his hands behind his back , shoulders rolling as he takes in the other male too. 

“ No, I cannot attend a crime scene without the Lieutenant . He’s at the car , wanted some time alone - He’ll be up shortly . “ 

You rock on your heels and look over at Connor for a moment, eyebrows raising before you turn your attention back to Jayden who’s raising slowly to his feet now , dusting his hands off against each other and then against his trousers . 

“ Is this a crime scene? “ 

You ask , more rhetorically than anything else. You expect Connor to reply , but it’s Jayden who turns and meets your eye, tilting his head to the side slightly and sucking in a breath through gritted teeth . It’s so interesting to watch him think so hard - humans are like primitive robots - cogs and wheels turning and grinding … but somehow their thought processes tend to outdo even those of androids CREATED for strictly the purposes you’re experiencing now . 

“ I didn’t think so , not at first but .. I need your second opinion on something that might change the story completely , “ 

He tells you . You move one leg to step forward , but Connor beats you to it . You watch him move past you and towards the cupboards. Jayden seems just as shocked to see him respond to his statement and he takes a step backwards before rounding the RK800 and drifting over to stand next to you instead . Connor drops to his haunches and pulls at the knees of his trousers to give himself more room , a very human action .. perhaps one that he’s picked up off of Hank. 

“ Blue blood “ 

“ Yeah , that much was obvious .. I was thinking more that you would let me know what MODEL of android it came from. “ 

Connor pauses, a length of time that he doesn’t really need . It makes you roll your eyes - he’s doing it for dramatic effect … something that actually seems to be working on Jayden . 

“ Well? “ 

The agent pushes. Connor turns on the soles of his feet and then looks across and up at the two of you stood there . You would have rolled your eyes again if it weren't for the fact that you noticed something else on his face ... something that looks a lot like - frustration . Your own brow lowers and you shift on your toes , pushing your thoughts into Connors head , asking him privately and quietly what's wrong . The fact that he doesn't reply makes you uneasy . Androids always share ... it's something that you did without thinking - concerned that doing otherwise would make you stand out from the crowd. More and more you were beginning to think that Connor was hiding how much of his own instability was present in his networks. 

Finally he answers Jayden , tone the same as always .. but that same strange look on his face. 

“ It seems to HAVE been a common housework model but - “

His frown deepens . You push your hands into the pockets of your trousers , watching him carefully , biocomponents working at the speed of light to keep up with all of the emotions and thoughts that are rushing through your body at the same time . 

“ But? “ 

You prod . He directs his gaze to you, eyes dark and deep , burning . 

“ But they’ve been altered . Heavily … almost to the point that they’re unrecognisable. “ 

“ Chop- shopped androids? “ 

The new voice to the conversation belongs to Anderson , who pushes into the room in a heavy rain jacket , long hair damp from the short walk from the car to the door to the flats. You barely glance at him before turning your attention back to the other android in the room . Somebody has been pulling apart people like you and him and putting them back together in different orders . Something from Human Popular culture is brought to your attention . Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Where a professor creates a man out of dead body parts. The thought of your people experiencing something like that makes you feel …. Sick . If you could FEEL such a thing , let alone physical nausea . 

Your people .   
Connor’s people .   
You share a look that holds a great deal of pain .   
He’s like you - you’re almost sure. 

“ You could say that, Lieutenant . “

Connor says, almost upon a sigh , finally bringing himself back to his feet and straightening his back at the same time as he straightens his tie that rests against a crisp white shirt . 

“ Except the android seems to be… chopping and shopping itself . “


	4. Ambient Sensors

Jayden’s key slips into the lock and he kicks the door to the room open . He grunts a little with exertion as he moves through and lugs the bags of groceries to the small table underneath the window. You follow hesitantly , eyes sweeping the small motel room and making hundreds of decisions as you go. You stop about five feet from the end of the double bed in the centre and look across at your partner, he pulls bottles of water and boxes of food free of the brown paper bags and stacks the items carefully. 

To look at him you wouldn’t have imagined that he was residing in a place that was so dismal . You turn almost a full hundred and eighty degrees and flip the light switch on the wall next to the door . The day outside is dark and stormy , just like the past week had been , but the light bulb hanging from the ceiling doesn’t really do much to improve the mood. You’d insisted on coming back with him so you could continue to work on the data that you’d collected together . There wasn’t much time left , and you couldn’t leave it all down to him . 

“ How long have you been here? “ 

You ask gently , hands tucking themselves into your pockets as you watch him turn ever so slightly to spy you across the room . He finishes up at the table and screws up the paper bag , tossing them almost playfully across into the waste paper basket near you . 

“ Since the beginning of the investigation “ 

The tone of his voice is casual but almost evasive . He waves a hand and then moves to slide his jacket off - left arm first and then the other , letting it drop to hang on the back of the chair that sits just beside him . There’s a pause and then he continues with a sigh . 

“ I’m from outta town , needed somewhere close by to stay “ 

That makes sense , It wasn’t like there were FBI agents hanging around on every street corner , they wanted the best on the case and that probably meant that most often they called in agents from across the country .. hence shitty Motel rooms on the edge of town . You nod in acknowledgement and then start across the room . The place is a mess , he obviously hasn’t spent much time there except to sleep and wash . 

“ There wasn’t anywhere better? “ 

You bend down and pick up a couple of shirts that were discarded by the base of the bed . You fold them carefully over your arm and then go about finding coat hangers to put them up in the wardrobe with . You can feel Jayden’s eyes on you as you go , and you suddenly feel a little self conscious. Clothes back in the wardrobe you go about clearing the rest of the room , it’s like a compulsion .. bottles sorted , tables corrected , sink swilled - 

“ You don’t have to do all of that . “ 

You stop at the sound of his voice, mid way through airing the sheets on the bed . You place them back down and meet his eye, shrugging your shoulders as straight palms push the edges of the top sheet under the mattress to hold it in place . 

“ It looks like you need it , A little feminine touch goes a long way . “ 

A small smile graces your face and you get a similar one in response. His hand raises , undoes the top button of his shirt and pulls his tie loose. It occurs to you suddenly that you hadn’t seen him outside of work conditions before , he was always prim and proper - suit correct and shoes shined. It was nice to see that there was a side to him that was normal , like any other man in the street - With AVI aside and the jacket off , he was less Agent Jayden .. more just .. Norman . 

Bed made , you take a couple of steps to the balcony doors and turn the lock slowly , pushing it open all of the way and taking in a deep breath - one that wasn’t needed but one that you found that you wanted. The rain is still falling , plummeting past the roof and into the dark night . You imagine that the air out there is cold and you have a yearning to feel it . 

“ I thought that we could do some crossmatching , known deviant models with history of crime in the area. “ 

Jayden’s voice moves across the room , you construct an image of him pacing to his bag and grabbing the files pertaining to the case . He was right that you should probably get started on it - there was a lot of facts floating around , details that you were all finding it difficult to make sense of . That needed to change. 

“ It’s improbable that the killer has any other criminal record - it doesn’t fit with their MO . “ 

You reply softly , not really concentrating - you’re busy sifting through your settings and trying to find something in particular . Jayden speaks again , and the tone of his voice sounds like he’s agreeing with you and then adding comment , but you’re not listening to the words, just letting it all drain into your memory stores . 

Sensory input and output .   
Temperature control .   
Ambient sensors .   
Ambient sensors switched on .   
[ Settings saved ] 

You take a step forward , away from Jayden’s ramblings and onto the balcony . A rush of cold air hits you like a train . Goosebumps raise on arms that have never felt them before. Your eyes widen , lips parting at the shock of it , a breath catching in your throat . It’s amazing , better than you could have imagined - why would anyone have the ability to feel alive like this pushed to the back of their self - hidden away . Why would anybody force that on innocent lives ? 

You take yet another few steps towards the edge and a hand lifts , pushing out past the edge of the balcony Droplets of rain land on the back of your hand and run down between your fingers . You gasp quietly and pull your arm back , looking down at the wetness there . You’d been out in the rain many times before, but had never actually felt it , this was all new , and it was astounding . 

“ You still with me? “ 

His voice is closer , you turn sharply , crossing your arms over your chest and looking at Jayden standing in the doorway . You wish that you could stand out in the cold and rain for longer , drink in the entire experience , but you know that you can’t . You take one step towards the male and then nod your head before frowning and shaking it as well. 

“ Yes , sorry - “ 

He side steps , allowing room for you to move back through into the warm . Heat . It goes with the yellow light coming from the bulb and the soft vibration emanating from the on wall radiators . It doesn’t make sense to you that you’re only just noticing these things . 

“ I um - “ 

You’re trying to recover your composure, but there’s so much emotion rushing through you that you find yourself with wet eyes and a chest that threatens to heave out a sob . You stand in the centre of the room and clench your fists together tightly, blinking your eyes and looking up towards the ceiling . Jayden is on the move again but he’s not your first priority , there’s a lot to focus on internally . He shifts around you and you see him in the corner of your eye watching you with something you assume is concern. 

“ Are you okay ? Do you need to sit down . “ 

He sounds sincere . But his words are wrong , androids didn’t need rest , they didn’t need recuperation and they weren’t okay or not okay. The sentence didn’t apply to you , or at least it wasn’t supposed to . You wish that there were some way to take back the last few minutes , reply them in a timeline that was private - with no Jayden watching over you . A shake of your head , one that’s way too violent . But he’s seen you like this now , there was no taking it back so you might as well go the whole hog . Another gasp, a quieter one , one held close to your chest . 

“ It’s just - just an instability in my software , I’ll fix it in a moment . “ 

Great save , it might have worked if you weren’t hyperventilating like a human being . This wasn’t normal , none of these tears and emotions were programmed into an android that was meant for work and nothing else . Jayden wasn’t stupid - he would have figured that out a long time ago . 

“ No , you seriously don’t look too good , here . “ 

A hand goes into the middle of your back and guides you across to the bed , then he takes your hand and helps you take a shaky seat . There’s still concern on his face , mish-mashed together with curiosity that you see there a lot . He’s the kind of man that always wants to learn new things about the world around him … now you’re one of those new things - a concept that he hasn’t encountered before. 

“ I …. “ 

You don’t have any words , you wonder if it’s probably best to go back into your settings and undo the damage that you’ve done . But you can’t make yourself do it , you can’t rearrange the maze and put yourself back closer towards the start . Not when you’re so close to discovering who you could be . 

Jayden doesn’t speak again , you feel his hand rubbing gently at your back , not just sensing it this time - really feeling it . You look across at his face with wide eyes and swallow hard , giving him a nod . It’s time to trust him , because you have to trust someone and things can’t get any worse in this room than they already have. 

“ I’m - something has changed - I think … “ 

His hand pulls away from you but his gaze does not , he continues to watch you with the intensity that he has been for what feels like hours but can only have been seconds in reality. He’s listening , he’s waiting . 

“ I’m Alive, Jayden . “ 

There’s a pause . You can’t watch his eyes any longer and you turn your face away , waiting for the response that you know is coming . The shock - the confusion and the disgust . You’ve seen too many humans react to deviants with violence . So your eyes close and reopen slowly as you hear a chuckle coming from your partner . You drag your eyes back to him , narrow and questioning , glancing over the dimples on his cheek , a dim glitter in his eyes . 

“ What? “ 

You demand , Another pause . 

 

“ You think I hadn’t noticed ? “ 

There's that smirk again .


	5. Mars project

Maybe  you COULD  trust Jayden . Calculations and common  sense tell you that there's still a heavy chance that he's playing you - but there's something about him that was so warm and welcoming when you spilled your heart , when you confessed everything. You close the motel room door carefully , a soft clicking sound now the last hint of your presence . It's still raining - it feels as though it may never stop , an angry god trying to wash the world away for the sins that his people have committed . You walk silently down the covered  walkway near the doors , arms clasping your jacket tighter around yourself  now that you can feel the cold . It feels as though it's ice needles trying to tear you apart . It's invigorating , but you're not sure how the humans put up with it all the time . 

Rain pools at the edge of the stone floor and runs underneath your feet as it overflows . You're so intently  listening to the sound of your boots hitting the water that you don't notice the figure coming the opposite way to you . Not until you're right up in each other's faces . You stop short , head lifting to look the man in the face and examine his features . Thirties - unshaven , a look in his eyes that was so exhausted you were shocked that he was still standing - the thought is backed up by your scans that tell you everything inside of him ; every process and cell is  struggling , and struggling  hard . 

" My apologies "  the words leave you without a second thought . 

" sorry " he says at the same time . 

You give him what you hope is your best human smile , adjusting your hair so that it covers your LED just a little better.  You're not quite sure why you do it - but you do , and it seems to make you feel happier . You both stand there for an amount of time  that even you are aware  is  too long to  be  socially acceptable . You take  half a step back and squeeze your torso tighter , blinking a couple of times . The more you look at him , the more he doesn't look at all stable ... best to stay as far away from him as possible . 

" Are you - staying at the motel ? " your brow lowers as you ask the question . 

Suddenly he moves , shifting sideways and past you - one arm holding his chest , wincing as he moves . 

" Yeah - " a short response , but valid you guess . 

You turn to watch him move towards the stairs , eyes narrowing further - not failing in noticing that something was very wrong . His readings make sense now , the man is injured . Badly . He pulls himself a good six metres  away  from you  before you call out . But when you do , it's loud - but as friendly as you can manage . 

" Are you alright ? Do you need medical attention ? " 

The man stops . He doesn't turn to look at you , but you can see his fingers flexing over the damage that you're referring to . You can almost read his mind - he's debating deep in the back of his mind whether he can trust a strange woman on the street with something that is most likely not an injury he got from a LEGAL activity . You  shiver just a little - already getting accustomed to the normal human action of getting the hell inside whenever the weather turns . For a long moment you wonder whether he's just going to carry on his way without acknowledging you or your question . Then he responds almost too quietly - 

" I  fell off  my  bike , can you believe it ? " 

You can't . By the looks of your scans he's got three broken ribs and a superficially bruised lung - all on one side . No external abrasions . Not an injury you'd get from sliding off a bike on a wet gravel road .  You pause . A drop of rain falls from the eaves and lands on your cheek . Hand comes up involuntarily to wipe it away . 

" You should be more careful " Your voice has a hint of humour , balanced out by a large clump of concern . You turn more , so you're looking at the back of his head straight on . " But it's done now , you'll need help binding - I  have experience with clumsy men with bike fetishes . " 

The words don't even feel like you - part of you now hopes that he turns you down and you can go on your way , maybe even run back to Norman and demand he helps you get fixed .. put back to normal . 

Finally the male turns his head , just enough that you can see his side profile - eyes low , eyelashes brushing cheeks as he thinks . He's soaked through from the downpour , obviously freezing . There's no doubt that he's going to need help getting out of the wet clothes and tending to his injuries . 

" I wouldn't call it a fetish - " 

* * *

His room is as messy , if not messier than Jayden's . But you manage to keep a grip on the urge to move around and clear up . You know from your stores on modern media that most women would be scared of being in a man's hotel room alone with him , late at night . You don't hold any concern . You know that if he turned out to be dangerous that you'd be able to defend yourself . 

The man moves to sit on the end of the double bed as soon as he enters - arm still clasping his side . Eyes still avoiding your gaze . You close the door and turn slowly , shrugging your leather jacket off of your shoulders and folding it over the back of a free  chair next to the drape covered window . 

" So what do I call a man that's shredded himself up not wearing leathers on a bike ? " you ask gently , moving across the room and into the bathroom . You open the cabinet doors and are surprised to find a collection of medical supplies already sitting there . You freeze for a moment, adding that to a list of reasons you can't  trust the man . 

" Ethan " comes his voice from the main room . " or idiot , or anything else you feel like . " 

Ethan . A  normal name , a normal name for a normal looking man - who was obviously hiding something . You introduce yourself in a soft voice , and then  jump back into action , sweeping bandages and painkillers into your arms and swiping the cabinet door back shut . Footsteps pace across the room as you return and you find your patient at the desk , right hand side of the room . He's brushing papers to one side , tipping the contents of the table top into a box and hurriedly adjusting a lid on top. You watch his movements for a long moment and then clear your throat , eyes going back to his face . 

" You really should just sit down . " Your tone is firm for the first time since you met him - although that was only a matter of minutes ago . 

He finishes up and slides the box into a drawer with shaking hands . He's just as aware of the suspicion that hangs between the two of you - but he's trying his best to pretend that everything is normal . He moves back to the bed , drops into a slouched seated position - eyes wide as he watches you follow . 

" So are you staying here too ? " 

you don't expect the question from him , so you don't answer to start with . Instead you focus on putting the things you'd gathered down on the bed beside him. you grab the roll of bandages and begin to unwind a length , glancing up at his face once more . 

" no , just visiting a colleague "  you look away , cutting a compress to size . " Do you need help with your shirt - or ? " 

You can feel his eyes burning into you . You wonder what he's thinking , whether he's grateful for a good Samaritan or whether he's planning a slow death for you . What would he think when he pulled you apart to find wires and thirium ? 

" Let me try . " 

one arm lifts and Ethan pulls at his tshirt , trying to prise it up and over his head , to little avail . You're not surprised , but you let out a soft sound - moving closer to give him another soft smile and help him gently pull the material away and over . His face is drenched with pain as you lift his arm just enough to free the clothing and yank it over his head ,  and you apologise under your breath . 

" so what kind of bike do you ride ? " 

You meet his eye for only a second before beginning your work , pressing the compress into his chest and wrapping the bandage around his torso . His muscles are tense as you do so , obviously hurt by the pressure of your hands doing what they can to make him feel a little easier . When he speaks , there's an edge to his voice - like he's holding his breath . 

" Nothing fancy . " 

You know he's lying , but you keep pushing for some reason - as if trying to catch him out is some kind of game . Maybe you've simply  been hanging out with detectives and federal agents for too long . 

 "mhm? " 

you finish up with the bandages and then head back to the bathroom . Glass from the shelf is swilled carefully under the sink and then filled with cold water - you bring it back to Ethan , popping a couple of painkillers from the packet with one hand against your leg . Eyes are lasers that cut into the back of the male's head as you bring the new items to him and hold them out at arms length . 

" Take these , you'll feel better . " 

He takes them slowly,  hesitating before he does as if thinking hard about something . He takes the pills , washes them down with the water and then passes you back the glass - mouth curving into a half smile for only a second before it's wiped away again . Something is eating away at his mind . Maybe you look the same way to him - maybe you're just as broken as each other . 

There's a silence renewed as you go about clearing up the things that you've used - picking up a little of the mess that had already been there as well as you go . No body stays in a place like this unless they have to . Jayden was here for work - Ethan ? Ethan was somebody that you assume was probably here because he had nowhere else to go . You return to the main area , closing the bathroom door carefully and coming to a stop a couple of feet away from the bed - searching your new acquaintances face . 

" Thank you . " He  says - eyes narrowing , arm wrapping around himself once more . An action that he's now seemingly gotten used to . You want to tell him that he shouldn't do it , but you fight the urge . 

" You needed help - I like to think I'm a good enough person to help those in need . " 

" But you didn't have to . " he mumbles . 

You watch him closely . Then suddenly you start across the room and towards your jacket , scooping it up in one hand and hooking it over your arm . It feels weird to just leave - the last half hour had been so intimate for an experience with a stranger , now you're to go  and probably never see him again . Like this had never happened , like you'd never extended an arm . 

" It's late " he pipes up suddenly . " have you eaten tonight ? " 

You stop, hand out towards the door . Of course you haven't - you haven't  eaten EVER . There's a couple of seconds in which you don't respond and you reckon you're just as suspicious to him now as he is to you . 

" I - uh yeah . Yeah I had some take out with my friend - but .. if you need something I can go grab a bite for you ? " 

You turn once more , looking at him  there . He looks so small - whatever it is that's beating him up .. you're beginning to think that it's sadness rather than anything that could get you hurt . He  looks so damn sad , like a puppy that's been left on the side of the road . It's then that you know you can't leave him like this . You haven't actually helped him yet . The help he needs isn't the medical kind . 

He's shaking his head , eyes averting . He's about to tell you that you don't need to do that . So you cut him off . 

" Look I won't take no for an answer Ethan , okay ? I'll just run across and grab you a sandwich or something . You shouldn't be out in the rain again - you'll catch your death . "  You tell him in a soft voice . He attacks you back with a gaze that's suddenly as warm as you were trying to make yours . 

" Are you sure ? "  He's folding his t-shirt one handed in his lap . Eyes dart to the box on the desk before returning to yours . You try your hardest not to look the same way - not to let him catch on to your concern - or rather , your curiosity at what he's trying so hard to hide away in the corners of this room . 

" I'm sure . " You flip the jacket onto the opposite arm , turning to the door again and turning the handle this time,  pulling it in towards you . " I'll only be seven or so minutes . " 

He doesn't reply , but as you let yourself out - you think you hear another quiet thank you . 


End file.
